PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. — A divided Crawford County Board of Supervisors has tabled for further consideration the extension of a moratorium on new concentrated animal feeding operations.

The move precludes any chance to prevent the construction of large livestock facilities while a committee studies their potential environmental impacts.

The decision to table passed, 9-6, with two supervisors absent from the meeting.

Voting to table the matter were Supervisors Tom Cornford, Derek Flansburgh, Gerald Krachey, Mary Kuhn, Gari Lorenz, Dave Olson, Carl Orr, Greg Russell and Brad Steiner. Supervisors Wayne Jerrett, Larry Kelley, Geri Kozelka, Linda Munson, Duane Rogers, and Donald Stirling opposed doing so.

The study group formed in 2019 to research all facets of the issue and propose regulations, but due to meeting cancellations tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was unable to fulfill its directive before its October deadline.

The moratorium expires on Thursday, Dec. 31, and committee members requested an additional year to complete their work.

Since the moratorium took effect, the county’s single CAFO operator, Howard Roth, applied for the state permits necessary to construct a second facility about 1½ miles west of Wisconsin 131 on Harvest Lane in Wauzeka.